Education & Academia / Education Systems / K-12 Education

How Brazil’s Poorest Children Are Redefining Education & Fighting Agribusiness

A Ciranda Infantil e as crianças sem terrinha: educação e vida em movimento

Luís Henrique dos Santos Barcellos

In this deep dive, we explore the radical educational model of Brazil's Landless Workers Movement (MST), as documented by historian Luís Henrique dos Santos Barcellos in his book 'A Ciranda Infantil e as crianças sem terrinha: educação e vida em movimento.' This video reveals how MST's 'Ciranda Infantil' (Children's Circle) transforms toddlers and children into political subjects, challenging the capitalist agribusiness system. From the historical roots of land inequality (1850 Land Law) to the Green Revolution's devastation, we uncover how these children, living in mud and plastic shelters, learn through collective labor, play, and political activism. Discover how MST built 2,250 schools, trained 4,000 teachers, and created a pedagogy that fuses work, study, and class consciousness. This is not just about Brazil—it's a global call to rethink education, childhood, and our relationship with the land.